The Fedora Hat
The fedora hat began in the early 20th century and quickly adopted as men’s hats as iconic accessories, worn by some of the biggest names in Hollywood…and the biggest names in organised crime.
The fedora hat in history
The word fedora comes from the title of an 1882 play ‘Fédora’ by Victorien Sardou. The fedora hat began as women’s hats in the early 20th century but fedora hats for men were adopted by middle-class men in roughly 1919. The men’s hats quickly became popular for their style, ability to protect the wearer from rain and portability, as their wool or fur design could be rolled up when not in use!
Fedora hats in Hollywood
Fedora hats quickly skyrocketed in the public eye after featuring in 1940s and 50s Hollywood movies by Frank Sinatra and Gene Kelley in Singin’ in the Rain. The fedora hat was often complimented with trench coats, made famous by Humphrey Bogart in the enduring movie Casablanca.
However, as fashion moved from large lapels to smaller ones, shorter-brimmed hats became more in vogue and the fedora hat became a non-essential accessory. In fact, by the 1970s the fedora hat was only worn by older men in a more traditional style; but it wouldn’t be long before they were back in Hollywood.
Fedoras in the movies
10 years later the fedora hat was adopted by another surge of major Hollywood characters, including Freddy Krueger, The Blues Brothers and the legendary Indiana Jones fedora hat, who wore a 100% fur felt hat. You can even buy the Indiana Jones fedora hat for around $100.
The fedora hat as a gift
There’s no doubt that the traditional and timeless style of the fedora hat makes for great wedding accessories and grooms gifts. While black, brown, grey and tan fedoras are the most popular, the black fedora hat will be the most flexible for any occasion as it will go with just about anything.
If you’ve worn a fedora before and fancy a change, you’ll be glad to know that they’re available in almost every colour imaginable, so go ahead and get creative!
How is a fedora hat made?
The straw fedora hat and cloth fedora hat are the most authentic and will have a leather inner hat band to absorb sweat. More recently, fedora hats have been made from wool or fur felt. While wool fedoras are attractive, the fur felt ones are generally a higher quality and are more authentic. Some or the more high street versions of the fedora can also be seen with a turned down back.
Fedora hat prices
A wool fedora will normally cost around $50, and a fur felt fedora about $120. Of course, as with anything in life, you always pay for quality, so cheap fedora hats will not be as authentic as the more expensive versions – and a better quality fedora hat will last you longer.
The verdict
Whether you want the tough guy or hero look, there’s no doubt that the fedora hat is a timeless accessory that will really give you a distinct and memorable look – and your style that extra wow factor.